Winter Sports in Château-d'Oex

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hâteau-d'Oex in the Pays-d'Enhaut is the most Easterly French-speaking winter sports resort in Switzerland. It is denoted Sector 3 of the huge but largely unconnected Gstaad Mountain Rides network, most of which is in Saanerland in the Bernese Oberland. It is one of several valley stations in the circuit that is easy to reach by public transport (Zweisimmen probably being the easiest) but is also fairly easy to reach by car from Berne, via Bulle and Gruyeres. Although the slopes are not extensive and the equipment is not modern, it is a surprisingly pleasant resort to ski and snowboard in with a reasonable park and superbly groomed, flattering pistes. Note that the chairlift from Les Granges at Gérignoz connects to the main pistes via a horrible T-bar, so it is best to use the valley station in Château-d'Oex itself.

Château-d'Oex is probably not the best destination for keen skiers and snowboarders since it is low and has a limited lift system, but it is easy to get to other resorts in the Gstaad area by train or car from the village. The resort is also famous for the spectacular international hot-air balloon festival that takes place at the end of January every year, and the gastronomy of the region is highly regarded. David Niven lived in a chalet in the resort, dying there in 1983; he is buried in the local cemetery.

Best of the Slopes

If the snow conditions are good, there are some lovely options for getting down from La Braye as far as Les Granges, but the downside is the T-bar you need to take to get back up at Bois Chenois. However the park and the best pistes all connect to the chairlift bottom station at Praz-Perron. Interestingly, back in the 1950s, the ski area extended as far as Les Mosses via Monts Chevreuils, but Les Mosses is now linked to Leysin via a ski bus, reflecting the decline of Château-d'Oex as a ski resort.

Getting There

By Public Transport

The best destination to access the downhill slopes by public transport in this ski area is Château-d'Oex. Station is just 5 minutes walk from the cable car - you can see the cable runs from station. The Snow'n'Rail scheme gives you a lift pass with access for all of Gstaad Mountain Rides, but local passes just for the sector are also available.

• From Zurich the least travel time is 3 hrs 10 mins with as few as 2 changes going via Bern/Zweisimmen.
• From Basel the least travel time is 3 hrs 11 mins with as few as 2 changes going via Bern/Zweisimmen.
• From Berne the least travel time is 2 hrs 33 mins with as few as 1 changes going via Zweisimmen.
• From Lausanne the least travel time is 1 hrs 23 mins with as few as 1 changes going via Montreux.

By Road

Please refer to a map and check local conditions for accurate routing information.

• The road distance from Zurich is around 208 km and the journey time is roughly 2 hrs 29 mins.
• The road distance from Basel is around 182 km and the journey time is roughly 2 hrs 15 mins.
• The road distance from Berne is around 86 km and the journey time is roughly 1 hr 12 mins.
• The road distance from Geneva is around 143 km and the journey time is roughly 1 hr 52 mins.
• The road distance from Lausanne is around 79 km and the journey time is roughly 1 hr 10 mins.
• The road distance from Fribourg is around 56 km and the journey time is roughly 52 mins.

Get road directions at Google Maps

Nearby Resorts

Other resorts in the ski area include Rougemont.

Weather Outlook

View detailed snow forecast for Château d'Oex at: snow-forecast.com

Piste Map for Château-d'Oex